Buy/Drive/Burn: Three-row, V8 Family SUVs for 2019
The Buy/Drive/Burn series tackled big SUVs in the past, but those were of a distinctly luxurious flavor, costing over $85,000. Today we take a look at three other SUVs, but this time they’re closer to the $50,000 price point. All are from standard, non-luxury brands, have V8 engines, and boast body-on-frame construction. Let’s sort them out.
Nissan Armada
New to North America for the 2017 model year, Nissan’s Armada is the most youthful design here. The current Armada is a light reworking of the rough and ready Patrol model Nissan distributes globally. It should be noted that though it’s new to customers here, people around the globe have been buying the current Patrol since 2010. Assembled in Japan, North American Armadas receive a single engine: an Endurance V8 engine from the Titan that’s assembled in Tennessee. It’s a 5.6-liter mill, producing 390 horsepower. Power shifts through a seven-speed automatic, which can handle 8,500 pounds of tow weight. Today’s budget nets us a mid-level SL AWD trim, well-equipped for $53,750.
Chevrolet Tahoe
The current fourth-generation Tahoe has been on sale since the 2015 model year, when the K2XX platform took over from the GMT900. Improvements over the outgoing model include better fuel economy, selected panels made from aluminum to reduce weight, and better control of noise inside the cabin. Second- and third-row seats also fold flat, making trips from the hardware store easier. The majority of Tahoes are powered by the familiar 5.3-liter Vortec V8, which now has an EcoTec moniker attached to it. A total of 355 horsepower travels to the drive wheels via a six-speed automatic. Towing capacity measures a worst-in-trio 6,600 pounds in our mid-trim LT 4WD, which asks $55,600.
Toyota Sequoia
Rounding out our trio is Toyota’s middle-market full-sizer, the Sequoia. It’s the oldest vehicle here, remaining nearly unchanged since the debut of its second generation for model year 2008. Toyota did update Sequoia for 2018 (slightly), adding LED headlamps and unique grille designs for each trim. Sequoia utilizes the 5.7-liter V8 from the Tundra pickup truck with which it shares a platform. 381 horsepower travel through the six-speed automatic, allowing customers to tow 7,400 pounds. Trim selection today is the blacked-out TRD Sport 4WD, which costs $54,420.
Three truck-based SUVs with room for the whole family. Which is worth a Buy?
[Images: Nissan, Toyota, GM]
Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.
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I don't really have a strong opinion on any of these, HOWEVER, I will say I drove a 2017 Infiniti version of the Armada all the way to the end of "Hole In The Rock Rd." (look it up if you don't know what/where it is) in about a quarter of the time it should have taken with any lesser vehicle. Having done this solo in the middle of the winter season, there was almost no one else out there, it was an awesome trip made more so by a great vehicle. I have no off-roading background, but man this thing just ate up everything like it wasn't even trying. The suspension was perfect for the super rutted areas (80% of the drive) where everyone else was going 15-20mph, I blew by at 40+. No creaks, groans, rattles, etc. with 35k on the clock. If I needed something that big, I would seriously consider buying an Armada based on that experience. Oh, and I heartily recommend that drive.
I guess buy the Toyota, probably because it will hold up the b est long term Drive the Tahoe because it will be a comfortable workhorse Burn the Armada because you won't see better than 13 mpg no matter the driving situation in that thirstier than a solider in the desert 5.6.